Dreamworld inquest could start in months

The long-awaited inquest into the deaths of four people killed in the Dreamworld ride disaster could start in June or July.

It will examine the circumstances around the October 2016 malfunction of the Thunder River Rapids ride that caused the deaths of Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi, and Cindy Low.

The Brisbane Coroners Court on heard on Tuesday the theme park visitors had boarded raft five on the ride, which had been designed for families with children and had been a key attraction at the park since December 1986.

It was meant to give groups of six people a moderate thrill as it travelled through a watercourse, in an ostensibly safer simulation of white water rafting.

Raft five's journey was without incident until it reached the end, where it was collected by a conveyor belt.

Fifteen seconds before, one of the two large pumps that kept the ride going failed and cause water levels to drop.

Raft five continued along the conveyor and collided with another raft before it was lifted and pulled vertically into the conveyor mechanism.